I adored Carole King’s Tapestry album throughout my pre-teen years. As a piano student, I finally had something that I could play, and even sing with, that was also playing on the radio. But I neither knew, nor truly cared, about the singer/songwriter who produced the album. However, I snatched up this book to rectify that issue fifty years later.
That’s right. The album came out fifty years ago people. Only my imminent retirement is keeping me from a strangled scream right now. But I digress because I would assume that all the readers of this book will be boomers too.
If you enjoyed Carole King’s Tapestry album in your past, this book will give you many more details about how it was created. It also explains how it differs from Carole’s prior and subsequent work. More interesting to me, it explores Carole’s personal life. At the time, not much was said about this intensely private artist. Now, many of her secrets have been exposed. There is much talk here about her lyricist and first ex-husband, Gerry Goffin’s many infidelities, rampant drug use and subsequent mental health diagnosis.
If you liked the Tapestry album, this is probably the definitive look behind the scenes at its creation and the world in which its singer/songwriter inhabited. I am taking off half of a point because the book is structured in weirdly self-contained chapters, like college essays, that repeat some facts. 4.5 stars!
Thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.